Lightbearers
by arkanghel22
Summary: Something's happening to Nerima, and it's not good, and then three strangers also suddenly enter the lives of the Nerima crowd.
1. Default Chapter

LIGHTBEARERS

            _A Fanfic done by Saint. All Ranma ½ characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi._

            It was a pretty bleak afternoon. Classes were cancelled earlier because of the coming storm, and the weather was getting worse already. Akane huddled under her umbrella as she walked the deserted streets. She had to take care of some things at school, so she was late going home.

            "_Moko Takabisha_!!!!!"

            Akane looked around. Did she just here someone shout? But she was all alone, and no one was fighting.

            "_Behind you!!!_!"

            Akane whirled around, expecting an attack. There was none, only the rhythmic pattering of the raindrops. She shook her head. Was somebody playing games with her? It was a woman's voice that she heard shouting. It sounded like an echo… fleeting. Where could it come from? Standing absolutely still, she listened to the rain, expecting the voice to speak again. This time, there was nothing to hear.

            Then she suddenly heard another different voice. It seemed like someone was singing softly to her ear, and it made her skin crawl.

            "_Silver and Gold, my love you hold, you know I love you, darling._

_               Silver and Gold, my eyes you hold, you know I see you darling_

_               Silver and Gold, my breath I hold, you know I want you, darling _

_               Silver and Gold, your heart I hold, you know the end is coming…_"

            She glanced all around her in fright. Lightning suddenly forked above her, and thunder rumbled short after. Akane cringed a bit. And then it happened.

            Akane suddenly felt lightheaded, and she closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she wasn't in the drenched deserted street anymore.

            She was in a wasteland.

 Buildings lay broken, and houses crumbled on their places. Eerie lifelike statues littered the streets. Some broken, others still whole, all of them with faces frozen in fear. Silence reined supreme. The sky was scarlet with the setting sun.

            That was just for a moment. The next second, she was standing in the middle of the wet street again, alone. Akane stood bewildered, and then decided she must be hallucinating.

I. Strangers and Strange Things

            Nerima. 

            There was a particularly foul weather outside, but the Tendo Household was all warm and bright. Anybody passing by could hear a loud jumble of noise with an occasional crash coming from inside, but anyone who's lived in Nerima long enough knows it's normal and nothing to get alarmed about.

            Tonight, the place was unusually full. There was a Purple- haired Chinese girl bickering with a spatula- wielding girl at the entrance. A bespectacled young man stood complacently a little away from the chine girl. A serene looking girl just smiled at them all as she took the food the guests had brought. 

In the living room, a panda and a long haired man were frantically playing a game of shogi. Both were shouting expletives at each other while attacking the shogi board with almost mad ferocity. 

At the other side of the room, a bored looking girl channel- surfed. With an impatient look at the shouting pair, she increased the volume of the TV, but that did little help because the two just raised their voices more. 

Then a pigtailed girl came barreling in from the rain, a blue haired girl hot on her heels. In her arms she held a little black piglet which was wearing a very smug look on its piggy face.

"RANMA YOU BAKA! WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS PICKING ON P-CHAN!!!" she shouted angrily.

            "Would you all please, please lower it down! I'm trying to watch the news here!!!" Nabiki snapped, frowning particularly at the Squabbling shogi players. Her father and the Panda glanced at her blankly.

            "Thank You!" she then said and flopped down again on her stomach. 

            '_In the News Tonight, the Crime Rate in Nerima is apparently rising. A number of brutal murders have been reported throughout the city…_'

            "What's that, sis?" Akane asked as she sat down near Nabiki. She set P- chan, her piglet beside her.

            "Shhhhh… just listen, will yah!?" Nabiki hissed, her attention centered on the newscast. Akane stuck out her tongue at her and then turned to watch, too.

            _"… Just this afternoon, a young woman had been found murdered right next to a local deli, totaling all the murders that happened this month into 17. It has been reported that she'd just stepped out from the said deli after buying some undisclosed items when she was attacked in broad daylight and in plain sight of witnesses_.'

'_The Witnesses are still in a state of shock and are too petrified to talk. They are currently in the custody of the police._'

'_The police are speculating that a Gang might be behind all this but this have not been proved yet. Others are saying a Cult that we've never ever heard of may be doing these abominable acts.  We will notify the public of further news but for now, people are urged to be more cautious and stay behind closed doors for their own safety. Now, in a lighter note…_'

Nabiki shook her head slightly. "Nothing new there," she muttered.

"17 murders this month!?" Akane mused. "That's too much!!! Disappearances, hallucinations, and now this!!!!" 

"Why on earth would people think a cult did all those killings?" a now male Ranma asked. He rubbed a towel vigorously on his still- damp hair as he entered the room. He'd heard the last of the telecast when he entered. Behind him, Shampoo, Mousse, and Ukyou followed. 

"Make yourself at home, okay?" Kasumi gently called out from the kitchen. "I'll be serving dinner soon."

The others made some room as the newly arrived people found places. Ranma sat down beside P-chan. Ukyou and Shampoo jockeyed to sit beside Ranma, but Ukyou got the place. Shampoo just stood there for a moment, miffed. Then she suddenly collared P-chan, dropped him on Akane's lap, and then squeezed in the minute space. 

Akane glared at Shampoo first and then at Ranma who was looking sheepish. He feebly tried to shake off Ukyou and Shampoo who were firmly lodged on his arms. Akane sniffed, gathered up P-chan and then went to Nabiki's other unoccupied side. Mousse had no choice but to sit next to Akane. 

Nabiki ignored the ruckus going on around her.  She switched the TV off, and then reached for her laptop. Akane leaned behind her shoulder to see what she had in it. The screen opened to reveal a web page. It read 'Nerima Mystery Murders Covered Up'

"The media is covering the issue up." Nabiki said gravely. "Look, here is the complete report"

"Kami-sama!!!" Akane exclaimed.

Ranma was instantly crouching behind Akane. Akane noticed this and felt a little self- conscious. The others also crowded around the Tendo sisters, making Ranma lean a little more closer to Akane. She could almost feel his breath on her nape and it made her shiver slightly.

"Why, are you feeling cold, Akane?" Ranma asked.

"N-nno… " she answered a little unsteadily.

On the webpage, a picture of the latest victim was plastered very clearly for everyone to see. The girl was lying chest down in a very awkward position. She looked like a broken puppet with her leg almost reaching her shoulder and her face turned away in a very grotesque fashion. Her dress was almost burned away but her body was left curiously without a blotch. The only mark on her body was a burnt hole clean through her chest, right where her heart should be. It was so cleanly done, no blood had flowed out of the wound because the flesh had immediately closed up. There was an article accompanying the picture and Ukyou read it out loud for everyone to hear.

"Akiyama Himiko, 20 yrs. Old was murdered at 23rd St. in front of Old Taro's Deli this afternoon, 3:46 pm. It was said she had just stepped out from the said deli when the assault was done. 3 witnesses who happened to be at the scene of the crime have been brought up for questioning, but are too distraught to get any straight account from them. The three have been hysterical when brought in and had to be put under sedative to calm down.

From their ramblings, it seems that Ms. Akiyama had just come out of the store when she was attacked by the "Shadows" as they put it. From the witnesses' description, the "Shadows" were very dark that they couldn't see any features. They moved quickly, fluidly and very silently. According to one witness, they made his skin crawl just by looking at them. 

They came from the alleys and converged on the victim. She had only managed a small cry when they rapidly disappeared behind the dark alley behind Old Taro's. Then they said they heard Ms. Akiyama shriek and then her body was thrown back to the street. This happened in a space of minutes."

"Aiya!! Is work of Demons!" Shampoo exclaimed and then hugged Ranma.

"I'll protect you, Shampoo!!!" Mousse declared.

"Uh, Mousse, you're talking to a plant," Akane pointed out.

"The witnesses were hysterical," Ukyou scoffed. "It's not real. Right, Ranma- honey?"

"I don't know," Ranma huffed as he tried to get some air into his lungs. "Shampoo, stop it. I can't breathe already!!!," he panted. He tried to wriggle out of her grasp but to no avail.

"Oh my, that's very scary news," Kasumi said at the entrance. A little crease marred her serene face showing her concern. "23rd St… that's 6 blocks from here," she said. Akane stood up and took the tray that Kasumi brought in.

"Don't worry, onee- chan. Nothing's gonna hurt us while I'm here!" Akane said to her.

"Whatcha gonna do, whomp them with a mallet, Akane?" Ranma sniggered. Ukyou and Shampoo laughed. Akane ignored them but P-chan bit Ranma's hand and then ran out of the room. There was splash of water and then Ryoga's voice.

"Ranma! Stop insulting Akane!!!" he shouted, his voice growing faint as he ran right into a cabinet.

"There goes Lost Boy," he muttered.

"Ahem…I've been keeping track of this for awhile now," Nabiki broke in. "and I've also been doing my own snooping around…"

"Nothing new there," Ranma mumbled. Akane glared at him.

"… and I've come up with some disturbing things. My connections at the Police Department have yielded the Police Investigation about the murders."

"You've got Connections at the Police Dept.?" Ukyou exclaimed.

Nabiki threw up her hands in irritation. "Yes! And could you please let me finish first?!" Nabiki said impatiently. The room suddenly got quiet except for the squabbling of Mr. Tendo and the Panda. Nabiki glanced at them and shook her head in defeat.

"Okay… the investigation shows that all the victims have been young women from age 15 – 21 yrs. Old. They all live here in Nerima. All except two have been assaulted at daytime. In every case, the girls were assaulted in or near a dark alley or something and everytime, the results are the same. They look like they were poked by a very big hot stick, don't they?"

"Nabiki!" Kasumi chastised. The younger sister grinned at the other cheekily.

"Anyway, looks like the 'Shadows' don't attack when there's a crowd. Only 3 cases were there any witnesses who saw the crime. One case had an old derelict die of a heart attack because of what he saw. The next case mentioned landed a businessman in an asylum because it was his daughter he saw victimized. The last case is the one mentioned here in the news. The Authorities have gathered that the shadows don't go inside houses since there are no cases of attacks like that. So you see, there's really nothing to worry about, Kasumi" Nabiki said.

Kasumi stared at Nabiki for a moment. And then she clapped her hands. "That's all right then!" she said happily, and started to set the table. It looked like she'd completely forgotten about the murders.

Suddenly, thunder rumbled loudly outside, together with an intense burst of lightning that blinded all the people in the room. Everyone was temporarily dazed, even Mr. Tendo and the Panda. Then Kasumi let out a little cry, and pointed out to the koi pond.

Rain pettered mercilessly on three figures emersed in the koi pond. The poor lighting from the lamp post revealed that they were three women, and Kami only knows where they came from and how they came to be knee deep in the koi pond there. The two seemed to be supporting the one between them, who sagged on her feet. Nevertheless, the one in the middle managed to lift her face to the bewildered people staring at them.

"Help us," she said, and then she finally fainted. 

Ranma, Akane and Ukyo immediately went to help the three strangers. Kasumi quickly took hold of the situation and asked Nabiki and Shampoo to find some towels. Mousse went to boil some tea. Soun and Genma just danced agitatedly around like panicked chickens, and Kasumi finally asked them to play shogi again.

Ranma carried the unconscious young woman on her back while Akane and Ukyo aided the two other strangers. For a moment, Ranma felt like she knew these strangers but she was sure she'd never seen them before.  

As soon as they reached the porch, Mousse took the unconscious woman's weight off Ranma. The stranger was a lot taller than Ranma in her girl form, and in fact her feet dragged behind Ranma while she carried her on her back. Mousse laid the girl near the heater and Kasumi dried her dripping long dark hair with a towel. Nabiki came with a warm blanket and lay it on the sleeping girl. She was bleeding because of a lot of wounds, and some were quite deep. The remains of the gray gi the girl was wearing was soaked with blood and singed. Kasumi worried that she might have lost a lot of blood, and asked Shampoo to call Dr. Tofu.

The girl Akane assisted inside had long purple hair and her figure was draped with a flowing muddied white robe, which was drenched, bloodied and torn. She was limping and some blood trickled down her brow, and when she reluctantly took off her robe, everyone saw that she was hurt as much as the unconscious girl. She collapsed beside her sleeping companion and didn't resist when Kasumi placed a blanket around her and gave her some tea. 

The third stranger who Ukyo aided had enough strength left to walk in by herself. She muttered an exhausted thank you to no one in particular and carefully sat down on the other side of their sleeping companion. Like the other girl, she didn't resist when a blanket was draped on her and when Kasumi thrust some tea on her cold hands. She was none the worse like her companions. She had long brown hair that was tied loosely with a faded yellow bandanna. She took it off when Kasumi came to dry her hair. Her left arm was bound by a rag, and her shirt was splattered with blood and slashed in places. The loose black pants she wore was muddied and torn, too. She checked on the sleeping girl first and then her other companion, and then finally relaxed herself. 

Very soon, the two strangers drifted asleep in exhaustion, too. After assisting the strangers inside, Ranma, Ukyo and Akane went to get some dry clothes. Ukyo borrowed some of Akane's. When they got back, there was nothing left to do but wait for Dr. Tofu. No one was in the mood to eat yet.

Now that the immediate concern was over, the young people quietly drifted apart again. Ukyou had decided to help Kasumi set the table. Ranma was ignoring Shampoo and watching TV. Mousse was talking to the plant again, and Nabiki was messing around with her laptop.  Unnoticed by everyone, Akane checked on the strangers and then went to the porch and sat down.  

She was still thinking about the murders. Even with the assurance of Nabiki, she was still worried for her family. Ever since her mom died and their father had broken down, Kasumi had taken over caring over the family and Nabiki had covered the finances. To help, Akane had decided that she'd be the Protector for her sisters so she learned Martial Arts. For a while, it had been okay, but when Ranma and his dad came, she'd gotten confused. She stopped practicing the Art since her father said Ranma would be taking over the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts anyway when they got married. She'd forgotten that her first reason for learning Martial Arts was to protect her family.

Akane squinted at the Night Sky. She'll have to correct her mistake. Starting tomorrow, she'll go back to studying the Arts. One problem though, who's gonna teach her? Her father had gone lazy and stopped practicing. Ranma had never wanted to teach her, ever. Cologne would more likely refuse to teach her since she's viewed as a rival of Shampoo. Happosai… No, out of the question. Guess she'd have to do it all by herself.

"Akane, time to eat!" Kasumi called from inside.

"I'm coming," she replied. She gazed at the dark outside one last time and then went inside.

-o-0-O-0-o-

            Dr. Tofu arrived just as they finished supper. Nabiki quickly asked Kasumi to prepare some more tea so that the doctor could check on the patients first before going berserk. Everybody knows the effect Kasumi does on Dr. Tofu. He loses his senses all together whenever Kasumi is around.

            "Thank You for coming, doctor," Akane said warmly.

            "It's my pleasure, Akane. Well, tell me who's sick," Dr. Tofu said, and then blinked when he saw Shampoo, Ukyo and Mousse also in the room.

            "Eh, are you having a party?" he asked curiously.

            "Uh, no. They came visiting this afternoon, and got stuck here because of the storm outside. They'll be staying here for the night," Ranma explained. The other guests each said their greetings politely and then returned to what they were doing.

            "Ah, yes. It's pretty bad weather outside. I almost turned back, but thank Kami I arrived here at last," the doctor said. "Well, who's the patient then? Don't say it's Kasumi," Dr. Tofu said anxiously. He looked around.

            "Errr… no, Doc, onee-chan's fine. She's just fixing some tea for us. Come with me, please," Akane said and showed him to the strangers. Dr. Tofu was surprised, but he immediately worked on his patients.

            The doctor examined the unconscious strangers, bandaged their wounds and then finally declared they were out of immediate danger. He was frowning though when he finished, and didn't even realize it was Kasumi who had given him his tea. Nabiki noticed this though.

            "Is there something wrong, Doc?" she asked. 

            "Hmm?" Tofu said distractedly. "Strange… their auras…one of them's almost drained… Oh, nothing important really. Nothing to bother about." He said, and then blinked as if he'd just awoke.

            "They've succumbed to severe exhaustion, more than anything else. They've got pretty strong chi, and they'll recover totally after some rest. How'd they come about with all those wounds anyway?" he asked.

            "We just found them in the koi pond, Dr. Tofu. We don't have a clue who these people are," Kasumi quipped.

            As soon as the doctor realized Kasumi was standing quite near him, his glasses quickly fogged. That was the end of all reason for that evening.

            "She… she talked to me… Betty-chan, where are you?! AHAHAHA!"

-o-0-O-0-o-

            The house is burning.

            Akane was awakened by Nabiki's scream. Smoke was seeping under her door and she could see the flames licking the doorframe. With a panicked feeling, she jumped out of her bed and scrambled for the door. The hall was aflame.

            "Ranma!!!! Help!!!!" she shouted as she barged in Nabiki's room. Her sister was not in it. Where was Ranma anyway? 

            "Nabiki?!!! Kasumi?!!! Daddy?!!! Answer me!!!" she screamed on top of her lungs. She rushed to each room but no one was in. When she looked down the stairs, she saw shadows moving downstairs. Suddenly, she felt rooted to the spot by intense fear.

            "Akane!!," it was Kasumi. "Run away!!!" she screamed. "They found you!!! Run away!!!!" She saw her oldest sister brandishing a broom and standing over Nabiki who was unconscious. Beside her stood her father holding his sword out. They faced a dozen shadowy things. Farther down was Mr. Saotome, engaging one of the creatures. 

            "Go, Akane!!! Run away!!!" Her father called out to her, his voice unusually strong and steady. "You can't help us! GO!!!!"

            "No, I will not leave you!" she said. "What's going on?"

            Suddenly, Ranma bounded up to her from downstairs. 

            "Ranma!!! What's going on?" she gasped. Akane was so confused with all that was happening. Ranma's face was set in a determined look. To her surprise, he gathered her up in his arms without even slowing his step. He ran back to her room and bolted the door up. The he ran to the window and opened it.

            Ranma then looked her in the eyes. 

"Run away, Akane. Very far away. Run until you can't see the smoke from here," he told her seriously. 

            "W-What? Ranma, what're you saying?"

            Then she was falling. Ranma had thrown her out the window and she could see his face staring at her with a curious expression.

            "No!!! She cried out, then everything was black.

-o-0-O-0-o-

            "Get up, Aki. It's morning."

            For a moment, the young woman with long, straight dark hair stared wildly at the other girl who'd shook her awake.

            "Did you have a nightmare again?" It was the young woman with beautiful purple hair who spoke. 

            "Yes"

            The girl called Aki sat up and pressed her palms at her eyes. "Sorry 'bout that, Riyo," she apologized to the girl next to her. Riyo smiled and patted her shoulder.

"It's okay, honey. Maybe you just need some of Sian's cooking."

            "Sorry too, Sian," she said to the other girl. Sian shook her head dismissively. 

"It's still early. We just woke you because you were raising a racket," she said and pointed to where Aki had lain. It looked like a place of a scuffle. Aki threw a shoe at Sian who evaded it without even looking.

"Haha! You two are sooo funny," she said grumpily. Sian and Riyo remained quiet, but their shoulders heaved in silent laughter. 

            "Hey, our wounds have been dressed! And where are we, anyway? This place looks familiar," Aki asked.

            "You surprise me, honey. You of all people should remember this place," Riyo reproached her.

            "Remember yesterday," Sian prompted, pointing at the koi pond.

            Aki's eyes widened in disbelief. "We've come back!" she cried out.

-o-0-O-0-o-

            Akane bolted up awake. It was morning and no smoke poured under her door and no flames licked her feet. She had broken up in cold sweat, and she wiped her wet brow with a trembling hand. 

            "It was only a dream," she whispered. With unsteady feet, she stood up and stepped out of her room. Quietly, she opened Nabiki's room. Her sister lay asleep in her bed. Downstairs, she heard Kasumi puttering in the Kitchen. Her father's snore could be heard from where she stood. 

            Akane hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath until then. She let it out now, and went back to her room. Since she was already up, she decided she might as well get busy. With that in mind, she dressed and went down.

            "Goodmorning, oneechan" Akane greeted her sister. 

            "Goodmorning, Akane! Why, you're earlier than usual!!!" Kasumi commented. "Oh my, you look pale!!!!" Akane remembered Kasumi yelling for her to leave in her dream.

            Akane smiled for her sister's sake. "No, I'm okay. Maybe I just need some rays," she joked. Kasumi looked unconvinced.

            "Well, alright then. I'll have some tea ready in a few minutes," she said.

            Akane went to the dojo. Because of her nightmare, she was now resolute to relearn Martial Arts again. It was too bad no one was going to teach her, but she was sure she was going to manage it. If Ranma can, she can, too, right? 

Akane started with some basics. Slowly, she got her rhythm and continued on with the more complex katas she knew. When she finished, she stayed with her eyes closed for some more moments, savoring the feeling of calm when a voice broke the silence.

"That was superbly done. A little off on some points, but still superbly done."

-o-0-O-0-o-

Akane started. She turned around quickly to see who interrupted her. On the far side of the dojo sat the three strangers they had rescued the night before. Because of her nightmare, she'd forgotten that they'd bedded the strangers for the night here at the dojo because there was no place left in the house. She blushed furiously and bowed.

"I'm sorry to have disturbed you. I completely forgot you were here," Akane said in a rush. "Forgive me!!!"

"Oh, don't say that!" said one of them. It was the one with the faded yellow bandanna in her brown hair. "If anyone should say sorry, it should be us, honey!" she said. She gestured for Akane to come closer, and Akane complied 

Akane could see that the strangers have greatly improved from last night. Though they were still covered with bandages and their clothes were still torn, at least they were clean and the color had returned to their cheeks. It was quite remarkable how they've recovered, really. 

"Let me introduce ourselves first, we owe you that," the brunette said in a friendly manner. "My name is Riyo," she said. "These are my sisters Sian, and Aki." 

With her hair dried, Aki's hair was actually dark blue, and she tied it in a high ponytail. She had beautiful brown eyes, but there was something hard and fierce in her gaze. And she seemed to be watching Akane thoughtfully and almost with suspicion. She was the unconscious girl that Ranma had brought in. She looked quite recovered now, but her cheeks were still a bit pale. She was the one who commented about Akane's katas.

Sian was the purple haired young woman with the flowing robe. She wears the odd hairdo that Shampoo sports. She smiled when she was introduced but there was something in her character that made her look unapproachable. Maybe it was the poised way she carried herself, or it might be the melancholic look that seemed to be permanent in her Chinese- looking violet eyes. 

Riyo was the friendliest of the group. Her long brown hair was kept tidy by a faded bandanna tied in a bow. She had nice brown eyes, but it seemed like she was thinking of something else even though she was smiling and talking animatedly.

"I'm Tendo Akane, pleased to meet you… Excuse me… did you say you were… sisters?" Akane asked hesitantly. She stared at each stranger in turn and tried to find any physical similarities. She couldn't find any.

"Yes, we are," Sian said firmly. Riyo nodded in agreement.

"We'd like to thank you for extending your hospitality to us. We're extremely grateful," said Aki. 

Then Kasumi knocked on the door to announce her presence. "Good morning!!! I'm glad our guests are awake already!" Aki, Sian, and Riyo struggled to rise, and they bowed to Kasumi politely.

"Onee-chan, these are Aki, Riyo and Sian," Akane introduced the strangers. "and this is my older sister Kasumi."

"Goodmorning, we would like to say how grateful we are for taking us in," Riyo said.

Kasumi bowed graciously. "Oh, we're perfectly happy to be of help to you. Now, would you be so kind to join us for breakfast?"

-o-0-O-0-o-

Breakfast was a tight fit. Imagine 12 people and a panda huddled around a table made for 8 people at most. Miraculously, they managed it, though it was complete chaos. After introductions, everyone settled down to eat. The strangers didn't seem to mind the squabbling panda and Ranma, and they didn't even spare a second glance when the panda turned into a bald-headed man when Ranma splashed him with cold water. Everyone noticed, though when Sian caught the thieving chopsticks of Genma's and broke it with her own.

"So, where are you folks from?" Ukyou asked Riyo. Riyo glanced at Aki and Sian first before answering.

"Not far from here," she answered vaguely.

"I don't wish to be impolite, but what happened to you? Why were you hurt that bad?" Akane asked. The strangers looked at each other, but nobody seemed to be willing to answer. Nabiki impatiently waved her hand.

"It's very clear how they got hurt," she said. "The shadows must have attacked them and they jumped over our wall to escape them."

"Shadows?" Sian asked.

"Yes… ya know, the dark shadowy things that glide or something," Ranma said.

"Oh, them…"

"Yes… you are correct, Nabiki. We were attacked last night," it was the first time Aki had said something at breakfast. "We came to be in your backyard because we escaped those… creatures."

"Oh, my! Shadows right outside our gate!!! That's very disturbing!" Kasumi said with concern.

"What are they like?" Riyoga asked with interest. Riyo shrugged.

"Their very fast and silent, very strong too. But they're incredibly stupid" she replied. "They're just following orders."

"How do you know so much about them anyway?" Mousse asked suspiciously.

"Because we've been fighting them for a long time now," Sian quietly answered. 

"How Sian fight Shadows when Shadows only appear recently?" Shampoo asked. Aki suddenly cut through the conversation. 

"That was a very good meal. Thank You, Kasumi," Aki addressed the oldest Tendo sister. Kasumi nodded graciously. "We would also like to thank you again for your letting us stay the night," she said.

"It was our pleasure. Stay as long as you wish," Soun said grandly.

'Thank You very much, sir," Riyo said, bowing. Aki and Sian also bowed in thanks. "Since we are still recovering, we will gladly accept your offer, but we don't want to be any burden so we would like to do something for our hosts."

"Some people should learn from their example," Nabiki snidely said while glaring at Genma and Ranma. The Saotomes studiously looked anywhere but at her.

"We're Martial Artists, and we'd like to teach in your dojo," Aki said. Akane's ears perked up.

"I see," Soun said thoughtfully.

"What type of Martial Arts do you know?" Akane asked eagerly.

"We all know some different variation of the Anything Goes Martial Arts," Sian said vaguely.

"WHAT?!? Who taught you the Anything Goes Technique?!?" Genma demanded.

"Happosai, of course," Aki replied smoothly. Everyone stared at the strangers in horror.

"GOOD LORD! The pain you must have gone through!!! And you're girls!!!!" Genma and Soun cried out.

"Well… if you're going to teach here in our dojo, you must show your skill to us first," Soun said reluctantly. "I would have Ranma, the heir to the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts fight one of you, but you're all still hurt."

"HEY! I'M the heir! He'll only be one IF we get married!" Akane protested loudly. Nobody was listening to her, though.

"That'll be easy," Riyo replied. "I'll fight him. I'm the least hurt of us three." 

Ranma felt insulted. Riyo still had one arm in a sling, and she wanted to fight him. "I don't fight injured people, especially GIRLS," he said, frowning. Riyo laughed.

"What's the matter, honey? Fight me in your girl form then, if you like. You don't even have to attack," she said with a smirk. Everyone laughed.

"How'd you know I turn into a girl…?!" Ranma blushed furiously. "All right, I'll fight you!!!"

-o-0-O-0-o-

Everyone eagerly went to the dojo to see the fight. Aki and Sian sat together on one side, looking a bit bored. Riyo stood in the middle of the floor in a relaxed stance while Ranma-onna stretched. Soun and Genma seemed to have entered into a festive mood and were waving flags at Ranma. Shampoo and Ukyou sat near where Ranma stood and cheered her on while Riyoga and Mousse cheered for Riyo. Akane only sat quietly, intently watching the strangers.

Riyo and Ranma bowed politely at each other, and then Ranma switched into a defensive stance. 

"You'd like me to attack, hon?" Riyo grinned. "You're so masochistic. I wonder what you'll think if I…"

"Riyo…" Sian called out in a warning tone.

"Come on, give me all ya got!" Ranma dared her. Riyo glanced at Aki and Sian, and then shrugged.

"I can't, hon.That would be disastrous," she said cryptically. Then she suddenly attacked. Ranma was taken by surprise. She was FAST. One moment she was standing, relaxed, and the next moment Riyo was dishing out a vicious high kick at Ranma. Ranma blocked it with his arms , and then jumped away. Riyo followed. Ranma blocked a series of kicks and then countered by swinging a leg under Riyo to catch her offbalance. She nimbly somersaulted out of harms way, but after a moment she was back again pushing her offense. Ranma struggled to keep himself covered from Riyo's fierce onslaught of kicks. He noticed that she wasn't using her good arm to attack, only to block. This only angered Ranma more. He launched a combination of kicks and punches at Riyo but she blocked them quite easily.

Both fighters were still unscathed but were already panting. If she didn't know any better, she'd say Riyo was just matching her strength for strength. She was beginning to suspect that Riyo was controlling herself. Ranma could dimly hear Ukyou and Shampoo cheering. She glanced around and saw Akane silently watching the fight. Something was different with her, though. Ranma frowned. Akane doesn't really cheer in her fights, but she can always feel her support somehow. Now… something was different. She was staring at Riyo intently, and wouldn't even spare a glance her way. Why?

Suddenly, Ranma had an overwhelming desire to win. She glanced at Akane and then glared at Riyo. "This time, it's gonna be serious!" she said. "Kashuu Tenshin Amiguriken!!!" she shouted as she attacked.

Riyo smiled, to Ranma's chagrin, and then proceeded to block and evade his punches, her movements as quick as Ranma's. 

"Very good. But not good enough, hon," she said with a smile. " You still need lots of practice before you can get to our level. You WILL become better… eventually," a shadow crossed Riyo's countenace. 

"Well… lesson's over" she finally said. Something glinted in Riyo's hand, and Ranma suddenly froze in place. Everyone was startled to suddenly see a small dagger pointed to Ranma's neck. Ranma raised his arms in reluctant surrender.

"Guess I won this one," Riyo said, relaxing. "Good fight, Ranma" She extended her arm for a handshake.

Ranma relaxed when Riyo withdrew the dagger and hid it away.. "Yes," he mumbled.

 The others approached the combatants and congratulated Riyo for winning. 

"That was pretty good," Nabiki said. 

"Yes," Soun said with approval. "Looks like you three got yourselves a job here in the dojo." 

Akane merely watched them some distance away, a thoughtful expression on her face.

  
- END OF CHAPTER 1 -


	2. Lights of Limbo

LIGHTBEARERS

_A Fanfic done by Arkanghel22. All Ranma 1⁄2 characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi.___

As soon as the sky cleared up, Shampoo, Mousse and Ukyo went back to their homes respectively. Ryoga had gotten himself lost again sometime earlier and must be halfway through Kyoto by now. The Tendo household was relatively peaceful again, with Genma & Soun playing their frantic game of Shogi, Nabiki browsing through her stack of magazines, Kasumi humming to herself as she prepared food in the kitchen, and Akane was… no where in sight.

"She must be studying in her room," Ranma thought to himself. He glanced listlessly up the stairs leading to the bedrooms.

"Maybe I should be studying, too… Maybe I should go ask for her help… Maybe… What's wrong with her anyway?!?!"

He glared angrily at nothing in particular as he tugged angrily at his pigtail. He could still remember how Akane stared at Riyo as he fought her this morning. She didn't even spare him a glance!!! She's his fiancée, she should be rooting for him, not for his opponent! She wasn't even disappointed when he conceded defeat. She just kept staring at Riyo with a curious expression on her face.

"Stupid kawaiikune tomboy!" Ranma muttered. And what was it about those strangers anyway? They're suspicious characters! Who in his right mind would suddenly pop in a koi pond, half-dead from a beating?

"I wouldn't be surprised if they try to kidnap Akane to challenge me to a REAL fight. Stupid hags!" Ranma muttered vehemently.

"Stupid hags? Who're you calling stupid hags?"

Ranma came out of his reverie to find a pair of Chinese-looking eyes just inches away from his face.

"Eeep!" he squeaked as he jumped away from Sian.

Sian laughed. "My, aren't you jumpy." She raised an eyebrow at him.

Ranma frowned. "I swear I almost thought you were Shampoo," he grumbled.

"You did? Now what would you think that?," she asked, smiling. "Anyway, we're about to eat." She showed him a bowl of steaming noodles she carried.

"Sian helped me prepare lunch," Kasumi said cheerfully as she brought more dishes in from the kitchen. "Ranma, can you please call the others to eat?"

Ranma picked himself up and dusted his pants. "All right, Kasumi."

Akane was really quiet through lunch. Ranma kept glancing at her but she didn't seem to notice. She didn't join in the conversation going around the table. She just picked listlessly at her food. She seemed to be thinking very hard about something.

Suddenly, Ranma found his face shoved inside his rice bowl.

"Pull yourself together, boy! That's the fifth crab stick I've stolen from your bowl and you haven't noticed!" Genma said.

"Lay off, old man! Go eat some bamboo or somethin'!!!" Ranma answered angrily. He grabbed the older man by the scruff and threw him to the koi pond. A moment later, a giant panda surfaced and attacked.

This apparently drew Akane's attention, at last.

"For Kami's sake, we've got guest's here! Go fight somewhere else!" Akane yelled. She stood up, threw Ranma out and sat down again.

Ranma grinned to himself. "Hey, I'm not finished yet! Kawaii-kune tomboy!" he yelled back. Akane merely turned her back to him, but it didn't matter. Ranma had seen a spark of the Akane he knew, and that was enough.

"More rice, Aki? Sian?"

"No thanks, Kasumi. That was delicious!"

"Superb!"

"Please pass the tea, Nabiki"

"mpph… here"

"Thanks"

Cologne surveyed the city from her vantage point. This was a tourist spot built precisely because you can see the whole Nerima from here. At night, couples usually populated this place, but because of the heavy rains earlier, no one was here but Cologne.

It was just as well, since Cologne wanted to think and concentrate.

The old crone looked down at the quiet city as a growing disquiet bloomed in her chest. As her concentration deepened, the awful cracks that were invisible to the untrained eye running all throughout the city became more evident. These were no ordinary cracks. They glittered with crystalline light, looking eerily attractive. The cracks crisscrossed all throughout the city, flaring and dying as if there was a fireball throbbing beneath the surface. As Cologne watched, she noticed the dark blobs slipping through the cracks. She could sense the evil in them. An odd chill ran down her spine.

"Limbo. The lights of limbo," she murmured. "I have to consult my scrolls."


End file.
